Thursday, November 12, 2009

We've moved, please change your RSS feed

Oregon Cycling Action has moved to a new address @ http://oregon.cyclingaction.com.

That's oregon(dot)cyclingaction(dot)com.

The new site will feature continuing coverage of Oregon's racing scene with new features such as the Fitness Forum, which will field reader questions with answers from the coaching crew at Upper Echelon Fitness. We're also adding the latest product reviews and tech columns, plus more on-site photo galleries and a few more surprises.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement for the site this past season. It's been a great year, and we hope to see you soon at http://oregon.cyclingaction.com

Make sure and change your bookmarks. And for those of you with blogrolls or email updates, please adjust your RSS feed to http://oregon.cyclingaction.com/feed/

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Kruger's promises dog day afternoon of 'cross


PHOTO: The farm on Sauvie's island provides and ideal setting.

The once-doomed Kruger's Crossing Cyclocross Classic is back on for Sunday, Nov. 22, but this time it's gone to the dogs. As if hosting the SSCXWC09 last Sunday wasn't prestigious enough, Portland will lay out the welcome mat for yet another world-class event: the inaugural Doggie Dog Cyclocross World Championships.

Ok, before any UCI lawyers start firing off single-spaced letters, it's really just a free, fun race for dogs and dog owners of all breeds, ages and sizes, presented by Cycle Dog and Meat and hosted at the Kruger's Crossing on Sauvie's Island.

The human racing will foll.ow the same catergories and schedule as thee Cross Crusade races, and should send riders along rutted farm roads, through berry fields, pastures, a barn, a bonfire and a beer garden.

Doggie Dog Cyclocross World Championships

12:30-1:00 p.m.

Race Specifics:
- Dog course will be about 1/2 mile long and feature barriers, mud, puddles, and a bunch of other things dogs might appreciate.
- No bikes in this race. Just dogs running with their owners (on-leash or off-leash).
- We'll have 4 race categories: Open Co-Ed, Clydesdale 60 lbs+, Masters 10yrs+, Carry-On & Lap Dogs (owners need to carry their dog throughout the whole course)
- The races are free, but owners need to sign a waiver and pick up a special dog bib number at registration.

Prizes/Awards:
- Cool awards for top finishers in each category
- Grand prize for the most original dog attire (lycra dog team kits strongly recommended!)
- Yummy dog treats for all participants!

Dog Corral/Lounge:
We will have a fenced-off corral where canine racers of the friendly kind can socialize before and after their race. Dog owners are responsible for the good behavior and well-being of their dogs.

Where?
Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island
Google Map: http://tinyurl.com/ycjtkt6

More info at www.portlandracing.com/cx

Monday, November 9, 2009

Portland goes over the top for SSCXWC send off


PHOTO: The Thunderdome at PIR set a new standard.

PORTLAND – What kind of recipe calls for a grass field covered with niche bicycles, a Black Sabbath cover band, a heart-pounding drum corps, a geodesic Thunderdome, a pair of fire dancers, a bus full of strippers, a brewery’s worth of beer and a lone bagpiper?

I don’t know either, but those elements and more blended beautifully Sunday at PIR when the world’s craziest bicycle race bid farewell to the city where it was born.

The SSCXWC unleashed itself on Portland’s cyclocross scene for one last time following a full day of Cross Crusade racing. Canada's Drew MacKenzie won the men's race for the second year in a row, while Seattle's Kari Studley rode away with the women's top prize at an event described by the keenly insightful eyes of PDXCROSS as the "Singlespeed Crazy Cross World Slapstickships."

Seattle won the battle to host next year's party, beating out San Francisco after two days of debates, riding and mud wrestling.

But the big winner, as usual, was Portland’s cycling scene as the event drew a sizable crowd of race fans and onlookers just curious to find out if the buzz about the race is true. It is!

With daylight running short, the 250 participants launched themselves for better or worse into a le Mans style start with a 50 meter run to the bikes, then a 180 turnaround to ride back through the slow, grass course, all the while dodging confused spectators who didn’t realize the racers were going to return in that direction. Mixed in with the costumed racers, Barry Wicks dressed in proper prep school attire while Bend’s Ryan Trebon flew his Kona-FSA stars and stripes jersey of the national cyclocross champion next to a rider dressed like a member of the '80s band Devo.

Then things got confusing and weird.

Riders made their way along a course well-trodden from a full day of Cross Crusade contests before they eventually faced the Thunderdome and its raucous crowds. With fans hanging from and on the scaffold-like structure, riders weaved into and then around and through the people hanging from hammocks suspended inside. Marshmallows flew while cheers, jeers, thumping heavy metal music and general mayhem added to the surrealistic feel.

Racers had been warned to bring dollar bills along for the ride, and they met an unexpected choice at the far end of the course where they could take a significant short cut through a stripper-filled bus if they tipped the dancers. Trebon commented on his Twitter page that the highlight of his race included “putting my muddy glove and $5 down the stipper’s pants at the webcyclery short cut.”

That doesn’t necessarily explain why he came through the Thunderdome on lap two without his bicycle but with his leashed dog enthusiastically leading the way. At the end of the day, MacKenzie outlasted Portland’s Joshua Berry to repeat as the men’s champion.

“It was pretty chaotic at the start, and I just kind of slowly worked my way up,” MacKenzie said. “I realized there were about five or so of us. At the end it was back and forth between me and Josh near the stripper zone and the shot short cut.”

Berry was leading as they approached the far corner of the course with the bus, but he missed out on the winners’ mandatory tattoo and rainbow striped Speedo by lingering too long with the entertainment as MacKenzie went past.

“I was told he was a lapper,” Berry said. “So I didn’t think anything of it when he went past.”

And so it ended with MacKenzie (pictured at left) scheduling an appointment for his second champion's tattoo and Berry holding on for second. In the women’s race, Studley sealed the deal for Seattle’s right to host the race next year by taking the top prize.


This golfer has no idea of the debauchery that is about to occur next door.


People have been known to lose their heads over this event.


But is it a singlespeed?


Ryan Trebon reminds a member of the '80s band Devo to hold his line.


Some seats were better than others.


Obstacles and distractions came from all directions.


Ballerinas and mud don't usually go together.


This guy has multiple monkeys on his back.


Confusion ensued once the race started.


Josh Berry lost the lead after lingering at the "short cut."

RESULTS
SSCXWC09
Sunday, Nov. 8
Portland

Women
1. Studley, Kari (Bothell, Wa) Velo Bella
2. Faris, Megan (Portland) River City Bicycles
3. Gilbert, Sunny (Corvallis)Pacific Power Blue Sky
4. Hartlaub, liza (Berkeley, Ca.) Shelia Moon
5. Guynup, Joele (Victoria, B.C.) Island Racing Club

Men
1. MacKenzie, Drew (Victoria, B.C.) Island Racing Club
2. Berry, Joshua (Portland) Team BODE
3. Brown, Ian (Portland) Tonic/River City Bicycles
4. Scholz, Henry (San Francisco)Team Roaring Mouse
5. Breeden, Byron (Portland)Team Cthulhu

Complete results are HERE.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Trebon, Van Meter take muddy Cross Crusade #7


PHOTO: The mud was plentiful Sunday for Cross Crusade #7.

PORTLAND – The same storm that soaked the OBRA Cyclocross Championships Saturday in Salem hung around to turn Cross Crusade #7 at Portland International Raceway into another slip-and-slide battle against gravity. But the penultimate event of the eight-race series was just a warm-up for the real show: the SSCXWC09 Thunderdome spectacle to follow.

Morning rains eased as the day wore on but dumped enough to saturate the grass for the early categories tearing through the course. And just when the mud started getting tacky, the skies opened again to freshly tune the fast, slippery course with some really technically difficult muddy sections.

National champion Ryan Trebon (Kona/FSA) made it back to the Crusades to claim his second win of the series ahead of teammate and last weekend’s double winner Barry Wicks. In the women’s race, Hudz-Subaru’s Emily Van Meter took her second series win ahead of teammate and series leader Wendy Williams.

As he did for the series opener at Alpenrose Dairy, Trebon warmed up for the men’s A race by cruising away to a solo win in the Crusade singlespeed event. But by the time the A race started about an hour later, Trebon had more company at the front.

Wicks, who won the OBRA championships in torrential rain and gusting winds the day before in Salem, joined Trebon in the lead with Portland’s Molly Cameron in tow. The trio started building an advantage when Cameron decided to press the issue.

“I had the brilliant idea to up the pace on a flat section, and when they counter attacked it put me into real trouble,” Cameron said. “Then I was just sucking wind the rest of the race. Felt pretty run down, wish I had a little more fight in me.”

Cameron, who’s in a tight race for the overall with Team S&M’s Sean Babcock, slowly drifted back to fifth as Shannon Skerritt (Vanilla Workshop) eventually picked up the chase in third after some shuffling.

Meanwhile, Wicks and Trebon drilled it at the front of the race and built a sizeable lead before Trebon left his teammate and rolled easily across the line for the win. Wicks held on for second, finishing ahead of Skerritt and Babcock. Cameron held on for fifth.

WOMEN

The women’s race started out with a trio of riders gaining a little traction on the rest of the field midway through the second lap. River City Bicycles’ Megan Faris and Brigette Brown jumped off the front with Van Meter, while Cross Crusade #6 winner Alice Pennington, (Veloforma), Alalia Berry (Gentle Lovers) and Seattle’s Kari Studley (Velo Bella) chased not far behind. Series leader Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru) lagged in ninth.

Van Meter, who won Cross crusade #4 in Hillsboro, shed her two lead companions on the lap and focused settled in to hold her advantage all the way to the line

Her teammate Williams, meanwhile, was riding back through the field and was soon chasing in second, building an advantage she held to the finish. Faris fought off all challengers except Williams and held onto third overall, while Pennington rode a smooth and steady race for fourth.

RACE NOTES
The 2009 Cross Crusade winds up next weekend with the final race in Barton Park near Estacada. Scoring for the series is based on the top six finishes over the eight-race series. Portland’s cyclocross scene stays alive with more local racing before the USGP comes to town Dec. 5 and 6 for the Stanley Portland Cup, the final weekend of that series. It’s all building toward the USA Cycling National Championships a week later in Bend Dec. 10-13.

Check VeloNews.com HERE for more photos.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Cross Crusade #7
Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Nov. 8

Senior Men A
1. Ryan Trebon (Kona/FSA)
2. Barry Wicks (Kona/FSA)
3. Shannon Skerritt (Vanilla Workshop)
4. Sean Babcock (Team S&M)
5. Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio)

Senior Women A

1. Emily Van Meter (Hudz-Subaru)
2. Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru)
3. Megan Faris (River City Bicycles)
4. Alice Pennington (Veloforma)
5. Rhonda Mazza (Team S&M)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Wicks and Bishop take top spots at OBRA champs


PHOTO: 2009 OBRA Cyclocross tropies polished and waiting.

SALEM – Nature’s color palette turned stark grey as a legitimate Pacific Northwest soaker rolled into the Willamette Valley just in time to drench the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association’s cyclocross championships Saturday in Salem.

Kona’s Barry Wicks won the men’s A championship, a nice warm-up for Sunday’s Cross Crusade and SSCXWW at Portland International Raceway. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports) rode away with the women’s A championship.

The pancake-flat venue at the Oregon State Fairgrounds made use of the maze of buildings and barns to give riders momentary relief from the downpour that waited outside. A sand trap, a live band and a quick rip across a motocross course were all mercifully under cover.

Wicks racked up his third victory in as many attempts after winning both Cross Crusade races Halloween weekend in Astoria, but this time the cast of characters riding at the front with the former Corvallis resident grew to as many as eight before Wicks left little doubt who the day belonged to.

“It was so windy and stormy, there was one section where it was really hard going so nobody wanted to work hard there,” Wicks said. “So it kind of stayed together. I wanted to have hard day of riding so I didn’t really hold back much. I just went for it.”

Joshua Berry (BODE) tried to stick with Wicks when he went. The Idaho rider quickly slipped off the Kona pro’s pace, falling back into a chase group with Taylor Kneuven, 2008 OBRA champ Kevin Hulick (Vanilla) and Ben Thompson (Desalvo Cycles).

Wicks built a comfortable lead and settled into a manageable pace on the front, while Hulick took control of the chase, finishing second on the day. Kneuven crossed the line in third ahead of Berry and Thompson in fourth and fifth.

WOMEN’S A RACE

With many of Oregon’s top women ‘crossers saving their energy for Sunday’s races in Portland, a select group of riders quickly settled into a battle for the OBRA championship podium spots Saturday in Salem.

Gentle Lovers’ Alalia Berry started off the first lap with Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports), Sunny Gilbert (Pacific Power/Blue Sky), Anna Vaughan (Hammer Velo) and Veronica Vega (Sunnyside Sports) nipping at her heels.

Berry and Bishop, two riders consistently fighting for podium spots at Cross Crusade, dropped the rest after several laps, with Gilbert chasing third in front of a well-strung out field.

Bishop outlasted Berry over the remaining laps and took the championship. Berry held onto second while Gilbert powered through the mud for third. Vega and Vaughan battled throughout the race and eventually settled on fourth and fifth, respectively.

RESULTS
OBRA Cyclocross Championships
Saturday, Nov. 7
Salem, Oregon


SENIOR MEN A

1. Barry Wicks (Kona)
2. Kevin Hulick (Vanilla Workshop)
3. Taylor Kneuven ()
4. Joshua Berry (BODE)
5. Ben Thompson (Desalvo Cycles)
SENIOR WOMEN A
1. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports)
2. Alalia Berry (Gentle Lovers)
3. Sunny Gilbert (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
4. Anna Vaughan (Hammer Velo)
5. Veronica Vega (Sunnyside Sports)

OBRA Cylocross Championship results

RESULTS
OBRA Cyclocross Championships
Saturday, Nov. 7
Salem


Junior Women 10-12
1. Haley Wilson
2. Emma Rosenberg
3. Sierra Kelly (Jelly Pirates)
Junior Women 13-14

1. Dana Martel (Pacific Power Blue Sky)
2. Marissa Reid (ZteaM)
3. Samantha Schauer (Specialized/River City)
Junior Women 15-16
1. Tyynismma Taylor
2. Flora Field
Junior Women 17-18
1. Tilly Field
2. Sierra Reid (ZteaM)
3. Liz Cartwright (BBC)
Junior Men 10-12
1. Grant McElroy
2. Erin Carpenter
3. Rubin Field
Junior Men 13-14
1. Naigwan Pelman (Word-RCB)
2. Micthell Stevens (Sunnyside Sports)
3. Day Shaun Lee (Word-RCB)
Junior Men 15-16

1. Timothy Jaynes
2. Keith Suttlemyre
3. Trevor Schauer
Junior Men 17-18
1. Andrew Bennett (Team Redline)
2. Colben Preble (Hammer Velo)
3. Kendal Johnson
Beginner Women
1. Amy Champion
2. Becky Rice (Team Lazy Tarantulas)
3. Christy Bigelow (Hammer Velo)
Master Women 45+

1. Karen Kenlan (Bend Bike n Sport)
2. Julie Jennings
3. Catherine Christensen
Senior Women B
1. Lindsay Kandra (Team S&M)
2. Margi Lifesy (Team S&M)
3. Stephanie Chase (Veloforma)
Master Women A
1. Beth Burns (Veloce/Felt)
2. Sarah Tisdale (Sorella Forte)
3. Joanne Stevens (Sunnyside Sports)
Senior Women A
1. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports)
2. Alalia Berry (Gentle Lovers)
3. Sunny Gilbert (Pacfic Power/Blue Sky)
4. Anna Vaughan (Hammer Velo)
5. Veronica Vega (Sunnyside Sports)
Singlespeed
1. Seth Patla (River City Bicycles)
2. Luke Demoe (HTFU)
3. Jeff Curtes (Vanillla)
Unicycle
1. Sam Rosenberg
2. Ben Schoenberg
3. Mike Albright
Clydesdales
1. Aaron Coker (HP Chiro)
2. Matthew Lasala (Bend Bike n Sport)
3. Kyle Bush (BBC)
Beginner Men
1. Eric Martin
2. Jason Schilling
3. Jonathan Miller
Senior Men C
1. Ricardo Medina (Hammer Velo)
2. Gary Szalay
3. Roger Meier
Master Men C
1. Brian List (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
2. Matt Martel (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
3. Jonathan Pearson (Therapeutic Associates Inc.)
Master Men 50+
1. Rich Cramer (Bicycle attorney.com)
2. Steve Yenne
3. John Wilson (Pacific Power/Blue Sky)
Masters Men B
1. Jason Tauakolian (Slocum/Rebound)
2. Jeff Edes (Team S&M)
3. Wade Miller (Sunnyside Sports)
Senior Men B
1. Jake Hansen (Word-RCB)
2. Jeff Ballantine (Portland Velo)
3. Chip Sloan (Grundelbruisers)
Masters Men A

1. Eirik Schulz (Specialized River City)
2. Scott Bradway (Team S&M)
3. Doug Reid (Veloce/Felt)
Senior Men A
1. Barry Wicks (Kona)
2. Kevin Hulick (Vanilla Workshop)
3. Taylor Kneuven ()
4. Joshua Berry (BODE)
5. Ben Thompson (Desalvo Cycles)

Friday, November 6, 2009

OBRA champs, SSCXWC highlight 'cross weekend


PHOTO: The OBRA champs course hits every corner of the fairgrounds and its buildings.

Oregon's seam-busting cyclocross scene fires on all cylinders this weekend as the OBRA 'cross champs invade the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem on Saturday, while the Cross Crusade and it's unruly SSCXWC offspring tear up the turf near Portland International Raceway on Sunday.

Saturday's championships in Salem, also the third and final race of the Willamette Valley Cyclocross Series, promise a festival atmosphere with classic 'cross food, an indoor beer garden that starts after the junior racing, and a live band to keep the rhythm going.

Sunday's events start early with the usual Cross Crusade schedule of categories running from 8:50 a.m. through the 3 p.m. start time for the A men and women. Sometime after the last Crusaders finish up at 4 p.m., the SSCXWC, which has probably been best described as a cross between the performance art of Burning Man and the intensity of bicycle racing, takes over the course for the world champs' final running in Portland.

The SSCXWC promises to draw top talent from the northwest, including national cyclocross champion Ryan Trebon of Bend and his Kona teammate Barry Wicks. Team Giant mountain bike pros Carl Decker and Adam Craig may also be on hand, along with riders from around North America and the rest of the globe.

It's a cyclocross extravaganza in Oregon this weekend. Don't miss out!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

"The Cyclocross Meeting" trailer

Check out this trailer for the new film from Brian Vernor (Pure Sweet Hell, Where Are You Go) about the currently exploding US cyclocross scene and the emerging Japanese cyclocross scene. The movie will premiere in Bend during the national championships.

The Cyclocross Meeting follows Barry Wicks and Adam Mcgrath to top U.S. races in New Jersey and Oregon, and then to Japan, where they compete with seven time Japanese National Champion Keiichi Tsujiura and the up and coming talent Yu Takenouchi. Also featuring 35 year veteran bicycle framebuilder Nakagawa.

Four new Cross Crusade photo galleries uploaded



Galleries from Cross Crusade #4 in Hillsboro on Oct. 25, and races #5 and #6 in Astoria on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, have been upoladed. You can find links to the galleries below.

Cross Crusade #4 on Oct. 25 in Hillsboro is HERE.
(Guest photographer Phil Kindshuh's gallery is HERE).

Cross Crusade #5 on Oct. 31 in Astoria in HERE.

Cross Crusade #6 on Nov. 1 in Astoria is HERE.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Hopworks to host 'cross champs pre-reg party

PORTLAND -- Hopworks Urban Brewery is hosting an OBRA Cyclocross Championships pre-registration party Wednesday evening from 6 to 8.

Riders can get the first peek at the course layout for this Saturday's races, look at pictures, watch some video and check out a giant mapped layout to help plan race strategy -- or at least find the indoor Hopworks beer garden and live band. You can also score a free Championships T-Shirt from Bicycleattorney.com.

Pre-reg is $20 for first race and $5 for the second. Juniors races always $5. New registrants will also be able to pick up their numbers. Register with cash or visa at Hopworks. You can also sign up online and pay with a visa.

Other event highlights:
*Custom made first-place awards for all categories and the coolest custom made kiddie medals ever!
*Bike-N-Hike Nuetral Support
*Willamette Valley Cross Series prizes provided by Bike n Hike Bike-N-Hike
*Bike Expo, additional vendors wanted!
*Indoor warm-up areas and lots of bathrooms.
Hopworks Urban Brewery is at 2944 S.E. Powell Blvd. in Portland.

Check out Buylocalcycling.com for more info.

Monday, November 2, 2009

OBRA cross championships release call-up order for Saturday's races at the state fairgrounds

Organizers of the OBRA Cyclocross Championships this Saturday in Salem released the system that will be used to determine call-ups, which will be based on the following results for each category:
*2008 Champion
*Top 5 Willamette Valley Cyclocross series standings
*Top 5 Cross Crusade series standings
*Top 5 BAR
(The Willamette Valley Cross series top 5 get a call up because the OBRA Championships is also the third race of the WVC Series).

The race will take place at the Oregon State Fairgorunds, with promoters promising an indoor Hopworks beer garden, classic cyclocross food and live music to spice up the festivities

In a slight change from other OBRA cross races, the Women's A group races at 2 p.m. with the cat Bs, beginners and masters 35+. The race is also the fifth event of the seven-race Oregon Junior Cyclocross series, with that event taking place at noon.

OBRA Championships Schedule

10 a.m.Men Beginner/Cat C Men/C 35+ (45min)
11 a.m.Men Masters Cat B 35+/ Masters 50/60+/Clydesdale (45min)
Noon Oregon Junior Cyclocross Series
12:30 Kiddie Cross
Series / OBRA Champs Recognition #1
1 p.m. Cat B Men/SS/Unicycle (45min)
2 p.m. Women Cat A/B/Beginners/Masters 35+ (45min)
3 p.m.Men Cat A/Masters A 35+ (60min)


View Larger Map

Johnson leads NACT after slippery Colorado races

Blue Sky Velo Cup, Saturday
Katie Compton (Planet Bike) and Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll of Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com pulled out no tricks but took the top treats at the NACT Blue Sky Velo Cup in Longmont, Colorado on Saturday. After snow blanketed the state early in the week, the sun made a late season cameo appearance for the weekend, and cross fans were treated to mud and a display by some of the best racers in the world.

Compton demonstrated why she is leading the UCI circuit now, and the Elite Women’s race quickly became a contest for second as Compton turned it into a dirt time trial. The Luna Chix duo of Georgia Gould and Alison Dunlap swept up second and third. Meredith Miller (California Giant Berries) put her road skills to the test for fourth. Mountain biker Kelli Emmett (Giant) rounded out the top five.

As Johnson and Powers began to build a lead in the Elite Men’s race, the two were also jockeying for who would take over the NACT leader’s jersey after the Boulder race on Sunday. Johnson dropped his teammates, but with Powers holding on for second and teammate Jamey Driscoll in third, Sunday’s race was set to decide who would pull on the red jersey Sunday afternoon. Adam Craig (Giant), always entertaining, put in a good show to take fourth while Troy Wells (Clif Bar) was fifth.

Boulder Cup, Sunday
As the Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com train departed from the start line in Boulder on Sunday, Tim Johnson was in the new position of both debuting and defending the NACT leader’s jersey. Fortunately, Johnson’s Sunday race ended identical to Saturday’s; with the former national champion standing on the top podium.

Cannondale once again swept the top three spots, with Jeremy Powers in second and Jamey Driscoll in third. Geoff Kabush (Maxxis/Rocky Mountain) and Jeremy Horgan Kobelski (Subaru/Gary Fisher) filled out the top five at Sunday's race. With just one more weekend remaining in the series, Johnson and his teammates look to have the NACT comfortably locked up.

The women’s race also played out similarly to Saturday, with Compton taking off from the start and never looking back. Gould didn't start on Sunday, and her place in second was taken by Amy Dombroski (Richard Sachs-RGM) as Compton finished three minutes ahead. As with Saturday, Alison Dunlap (Luna Chix) was third, Meredith Miller (Cal Giant Berry Farm), fourth, and Kelli Emmett (Giant) took fifth.

The final NACT races are at the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Event, Nov. 21-22 in Southampton, New York.

For more full standings and information, see http://www.nacyclocross.com. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NACT

(Submitted by Stephanie Chase for the NACT)

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Wicks doubles in Astoria, Butler wins women's race



ASTORIA – Sue Butler (Monavie/Cannondale) suited up for the costume race at Cross Crusade #6 Sunday in Astoria and rode to her first series win of the season, while “Cougar Bait” Barry Wicks (Kona) doubled up after taking Saturday’s opener in the Halloween weekend of racing.

Mud from Saturday’s intermittent rain got tacky when Sunday turned into an unseasonably warm, clear day on Oregon’s northern coast.

Butler, who has been trying to recover from a cold before she heads to the World Cup race in Nomay, France and then straight back to the states for the upcoming USGP races in New Jersey, told her coach she wasn’t going to race this weekend.

“The coach doesn’t know,” said Butler, who worked the pits for husband Tim at Saturday’s races. “I got a text this morning saying, ‘How you feeling?’”

Butler’s result Sunday gave her the answer after she gained an advantage on the first lap, built a comfortable lead, and then held it to the finish.

“I felt pretty good out there,” Butler said. “I was able to keep it under control. It’s not like chasing Katie Compton around, but there’s still so much competition around here you just never know. I kept seeing the nun coming up behind me.”

The “nun” was series leader Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru), who won the first three races before absences and mishaps interrupted her streak. Williams pushed the pace and kept it upright on the slippery, technical course, but she was never able to reel back Butler’s initial advantage.

“The costume was hot,” said Williams, whose outfit may not have been well suited to the unseasonably warm, clear day on the coast. “It was a hard course. The corners and around the barns were really hard. And I was slow on the descents. So I’d just work really hard on the uphills to maintain my position.”

Cross Crusade veteran Rhonda Mazza (Team S&M) and last weekend’s winner Emily Van Meter (Hudz-Subaru) both missed the first day of racing but stormed to third and fourth, respectively, on Sunday. Gentle Lovers’ Alalia Berry rounded out the top five. Saturday’s winner Alice Pennington (Veloforma) had a rough day in triathlon garb, dropping to 10th.

After collecting the win, Butler seemed pretty pleased with her decision to join in.

“It’s kind of fun to be back on Halloween and just feel the scene again and get the crowd support,” she said. “It’s good to be home in front of the home crowd. Even if I didn’t feel good I probably would have raced just to race.”

"Couger Bait" Wicks makes it two in a row



Wicks’ break from the NACT schedule paid off with two wins on his former home turf. On Saturday he stomped away from the soon-to-be-strung-out field during the first lap, but on Sunday the Kona rider took a little more time to lay claim to the race.

“A lot of these guys are going for the series overall, so I don’t want to be too big an influence on that,” said Wicks, who put in several hours of training on the coast before his race started at 3 p.m. “I let them kind of sort things out before I decided to really start riding. Plus, I hadn’t pre-ridden, so I had no idea where we were going for the first lap.”

Wicks and Sean Babcock (Team S&M) opened up a gap on the first lap with Saturday’s runner-up Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio) and Eric Sheagley (Veloce/Felt). Sheagley came off the lead pace first, followed by Cameron, who dropped a chain and crashed on an uphill section. Babcock crashed next, falling hard as he was descending through a muddy corner on a section of pavement.

That’s when Shannon Skerritt found himself in second place chasing after Wicks, who was riding smooth and steady in the lead.

“I was hoping I could catch Barry,” Skerritt said. “But he was doing just enough to stay away. He’s smart.”

Skerritt was smart, too, riding hard but cautiously on the slippery course.

“You couldn’t go too hot into some of the corners,” he said. “That’s how I got second; from other people making mistakes and I was making fewer. I’m not the fittest guy out there, but I can handle my bike alright and I’m conservative sometimes in the corners.”

Skerritt’s biggest obstacle turned out to be a barrier crossing where an out-of-line spectator sprayed him in the face with beer because he wasn’t wearing a costume.

“It got a little mean-spirited out there,” he said. “It was a little too much, getting’ the beer sprayed in my eyes. I couldn’t really see at one point.”

Wicks, the professional, prepared himself with a costume.

“I heard they were shooting people with paintball guns if they didn’t have costumes on,” Wicks said. “So I made sure to get one.”

Wicks paced himself to a comfortable win over Skerritt, who held onto second in front of Sheagley in third. Babcock finished fourth, with Kevin Hulick (Gentle Lovers) in fifth. Cameron crossed the line in sixth.

“These Cross Crusade races are probably the most excitement and the coolest races I do all year,” Wicks said. “I race all the big series and everything else, but nothing can compare to the Portland scene. There’s such a culture of it and everything else.”

For more photos check out VeloNews.com HERE.

RESULTS
Cross Crusade #6
Astoria, Oregon
Sunday, Nov. 1


Senior Men A
1. Wicks, Barry (Kona)
2. Skerritt, Shannon (Vanilla Workshop)
3. Sheagley, Eric (Veloce/Felt)
4. Babcock, Sean (Team S&M)
5. Hulick, Kevin (Vanilla Workshop)
6. Cameron, Molly (Portland Bicycle Studio)
7. Thompson, Ben (DeSalvo Custom Cycles)
8. Gallagher, Michael (C3 Athletes)
9. Luelling, Brett (Capitol Subaru Cycling)
10. Nichols, Brett (BODE Cycling)
Senior Women A
1. Butler, Sue (Monavie/Cannondale)
2. Williams, Wendy (Hudz-Subaru)
3. Mazza, Rhonda (Team S&M)
4. Van Meter, Emily (Hudz-Subaru)
5. Alalia, Berry (Gentle Lovers)
6. Faris, Megan (River City Bicycles)
7. Bishop, Serena (Sunnyside Sports)
8. Vega, Veronica (Sunnyside Sports)
9. Jenkins, Abby (Super Reflex Concept)
10. Pennington, Alice (Veloforma)

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Wicks and Pennington win Cross Crusade #5


PHOTO: Alice Pennington (Veloforma) crashed twice on the first lap but bounced back for the win.

ASTORIA -- Kona pro Barry Wicks came to town Saturday and put the hurt on the Cross Crusade field of regulars on an extremely slippery course in Astoria, while Veloforma’s Alice Pennington fought back from several hard crashes to take her first win in women’s A race after finishing second three times.

Intermittent showers and sun breaks kept the temperatures warm and the course sloppy as the Cross Crusade invaded the northern-most tip of Oregon’s coast for a Halloween weekend doubleheader at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds.

The women’s race proved to be a battle of attrition of sorts as riders fought back from crashes and flats before Pennington finally dug deep and sealed the deal. The Veloforma rider crashed hard within the first few hundred meters of the start after hitting some deep mud at the bottom of a long, fast descent.

“I was really trying to go for it,” she said. “And then I crashed and ended up behind everybody.”

Pennington rolled out of it and quickly remounted the chase, catching three-race winner and series leader Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru), Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports) and Megan Faris (River City Bicycles) at the front . But Pennington’s bad luck wasn’t over. She crashed again on the first lap and was forced to mount another chase. She soon caught Williams, who’d flatted at an inopportune time and was forced to run with her bike for nearly half a lap, which left Bishop and Faris at the front.

“The other two I just reeled in as they got tired,” Pennington said of her effort to take the lead. “Then I just tried to stay upright. Serena (Bishop) starts really fast, and I can’t hang with her in the start. But (the race is) long enough that if you have some endurance you can reel people in. I was due for a win.”

Bishop finished second, one lap down on Pennington, while Faris held on for third. Gentle Lovers’ Erin Playman crossed the line fourth, ahead of Cyclepath’s Julie Browning in fifth.

Williams, who finished seventh on the day, said the flat tire and the long run to the pit pretty much put an end to her chances for a fourth series win.

“It was over,” she said. “And then my pit bike wasn’t shifting so I had to go back in. Luckily Sue (Butler) had put a new wheel on my other bike by then so I just rode out the course. You gotta keep going; in the name of ‘cross.”



WICKS LIGHTS IT UP EARLY IN MEN'S RACE

Wicks wasted little time pinning the gas pedal to the floor and quickly rode off the front of the men’s A race with Portland pro Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio) in tow and Vanilla Workshop riders Shannon Skerritt and Kevin Hulick joining Brett Luelling (Capitol Subaru Cycling) in the chase not too far behind.

“I just wanted to go hard at the start and string it out,” said Wicks, who finished second to teammate Ryan Trebon during the Cross Crusade opener at Alpenrose. “I was able to open a little gap, and then I just decided to keep on going with it.”

Cameron, who’d won two Crusade races in a row, eventually fell off Wicks’ winning pace but continued to build a lead on the rest of the field. The order of the chasers behind continued to shuffle as riders buried themselves trying to catch the two leaders, who were by now well off the front. Skerritt eventually emerged in third with Hulick bringing up fourth.

Wicks kept it upright and built a 42-second lead on Cameron with two laps to go, with the rest of the field lagging far behind.

“It’s nice to get out in the lead, “Wicks said “And then you can just kind of relax a little bit, especially on the mud.”

The Kona rider earned a comfortable win, with Cameron finishing second. Skerritt and Hulick hung onto third and fourth, respectively. Luelling crossed the line in fifth. Team S&M’s Sean Babcock, the winner in Rainier and a rider who’s normally at the front of the Cross Crusade races, had a tough, crash-filled day and finished well off the winning pace in ninth.

“It’s helpful to have Barry come out,” Babcock said. “Because he kind of sets the pace like Erik (Tonkin) does sometimes. But unfortunately, I crashed too many times to keep up with him. The course is hilly with a lot of greasy corners. It was a super fun course, but it got the best of me today.”



For more photos check out VeloNews.com HERE.

RESULTS
Cross Crusade #5
Astoria, Oregon
Saturday, Oct. 31


Senior Men A
1. Wicks, Barry (Kona)
1. Cameron, Molly (Portland Bicycle Studio)
3. Skerritt, Shannon (Vanilla Workshop)
4. Hulick, Kevin (Vanilla Workshop)
5. Luelling, Brett (Capitol Subaru Cycling) 9
Senior Women A
1. Pennington, Alice (Veloforma) 8
2. Bishop, Serena (Sunnyside Sports) 7
3. Faris, Megan (River City Bicycles) 7
4. Playman, Erin (Gentle Lovers) 7
5. Browning, Julie (Cyclepath Racing) 7
Singlespeed
1. Fabrizius, Erik (Veloshop)6
2. Patla, Seth (River City Bicycles)6
3. Redden, Andy (NoLimitz/ICE)6
4. DeMoe, Luke (HTFU)6
5. Rollert,John (WebCyclery.com)6
Masters Women A
1. Burns, Beth (Veloce/Felt)5
2. Rueter, Kim (Sorella Forte)5
3. Scott, Renee (Sunnyside Sports)5
4. Morin,Rhonda (Sorella Forte)5
5. McClenahan,Colleen (Sorella Forte)5
Masters Men A
1. Schulz, Eirik (Specialized River City)8
2. Butler, Tim (River City Bicycles)8
3. Schindler, Mike (Sunnyside Sports)8
4. Snyder, Chris (bicycleattorney.com)8
5. Mitchem, John (Guinness Cycling Team)8

Complete OBRA results for this race are HERE.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Bend's Boswell inks one-year deal with Bissell



Ian Boswell of Bend signed one-year deal this week to race with the Bissell Professional Cycling Team for the upcoming 2010 season.

Boswell, a member of the powerful junior racing team Hot Tubes and the USA Cycling Junior National Team, said the deal was a last minute "changearoo" when plans for the Cervelo Test Team U23 development squad fell through.

"I had talked with Omer (Kem) and he said they were kind of looking for a younger rider," Boswell said. "I raced with Ben Jacques-Maynes at Nevada City Classic in June, so I contacted both of those guys and asked if there was still an available spot on the team. They were about to sign another rider, but they both had known me and thought I’d be good for the team. The opportunity opened and I jumped on it."

Bissell is also a good fit for Boswell because he's currently going to school in Chico, California, which means he'll be close to a core group of Bissell teammates who race and train around Santa Rosa. The Jacques-Maynes brothers and last year's Mt. Hood winner Paul Mach all came up through the NorCal racing scene.

"I’ll race a lot of NorCal stuff with the team for a lot of the early season," he said. "Based off my performances there and how I’m riding, the better I ride, obviously, the bigger races I go to. Hopefully I can do some fun races like the Cascade Cycling Classic and Mt. Hood. And I want to try and have a good performance at U23 Nationals in Bend. Having it be in my hometown makes it a big goal. I missed it this year because I was at the (junior) world championships in Moscow."

Boswell will start the year with team camp in Santa Rosa and then hit the NorCal circuit with his new team.

"There’s a pretty good group to race with in northern California week in and week out," he said. "There’s a lot of BMC guys, so there are some pretty competitive fields here."

With the Cervelo Test Team hiccups and the added stress of a late signing now behind him, Boswell's looking forward to start the new season.

"It’s one of the premiere professional teams in the U.S.," he said. "So I’m excited to race with those guys and get some good experience."

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Now that's some cold, cold 'cross


Photo by Steve Lewis / Durango Herald.

Colorado 'crossers have a lot more than rain and mud to deal with. Avoiding hypothermia or maybe just getting lost in a snowdrift may be their biggest concerns as a massive and early snowstorm moves through the Front Range of Colorado. The slow-moving storm is expected to drop up to six inches of snow at lower elevations and a foot or more in the mountains before moving out of the area Thursday.

Schools are closed and the weather has forced Sunday's upcoming NACT Boulder Cup to find a different location.

The heavy layer of wet snow that fell Tuesday night and throughout the day Wednesday forced the City of Boulder and event organizers to look for a new venue in an effort to avoid damage to the turf at Harlow Platts. The international caliber race has been relocated to The Boulder Reservoir, replacing the south Boulder location. Race director Chris Grealish described the move as the best alternative given the fragility of the turf at Harlow Platts.

"The racers love Harlow Platts because of the challenging nature of the grassy terrain," Grealish said in an announcement on the race website. "But we have an agreement with the City of Boulder to make a move if conditions there risk long-term damage to the park."

OBRA CX champs a little more than a week away



SALEM -- The OBRA Cyclocross Championships are just over a week away, and the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem is gearing up for the event.

Scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, the promoters plan a Belgian style cyclocross championships that will make the most of the fairgrounds complex. The championships will be part of the third and final race of the Willamette Valley Cyclocross Series.

There will be four buildings to ride through, along with an indoor Hopworks beer garden adjacent to the course and possibly a live band. There will also be waffles and Belgian style fries for fuel.

OBRA awarded the cross championships to the Salem event for this year and next. This two-year commitment brings the Oregon championships back to the state capitol after an absence of more than a decade. The last championships in Salem were held at Wallace Marine Park more than 10 years ago.

“Salem is the perfect location to hold the championships in Oregon," said Kenji Sugahara, Executive Director of OBRA. "It has a central location and a rapidly growing base of cyclocross enthusiasts. Oregon has a reputation as having the best cyclocross community in the world, and I am excited to bring that to the Cherry City.”

The 2009 championships are expected to attract approximately 800 competitors with an additional 300-400 visitors including staff, spectators and families.

“We at the Oregon State Fairgrounds are thrilled to have a part in the OBRA Cyclocross State Championships,” said Lydia Blackburn, the Sports and Recreation Coordinator for the Oregon State Fair. “This opportunity is a perfect fit in our objectives to open the State Fairgrounds to our bicycle community, and of course it will be a lot of fun.”

Jeff McNamee of Buy Local Cycling and Chad Cherefko of Bicycle Attorney Cycling -- promoters who directed last year’s Heiser Farms cyclocross race -- will serve as race directors for the championships.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Oregon State Fair for the championship" McNamee said. "Our Mountain Bike Short Track series in August was a success thanks in large part to the Oregon State Fair."

The championship event will also mark the fifth race of the seven-race Oregon Junior Cyclocross Series.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Transfers, promotions and rider rumors for 2010

CORRECTION: Omer Kem has not signed a contract for the 2010 season and is still talking with teams.

PHOTO: Jacob Rathe, shown here winning the Banana Belt finale, will ride for the Jelly Belly U23 team next year.

The road racing wheels have barely stopped turning and plans for the 2010 season have already started swinging into action.

OBRA rider Jacob Rathe, a member of the 2009 USA Cycling Junior National Team who found himself atop several European podiums, signed with the Jelly Belly U23 squad. Jelly Belly is the longest running active pro cycling team in the United States. The 19-year-old rider from southwest Portland will likely race a full program of European U23 races with the national team and a handful of NRC races in the States as a cat 1 with Jelly belly.

"There will be three U23s on the team," Rathe said. "There are a lot of U23 races in Europe we can do. I wouldn't be able to do those with a professional license. The jump to U23 racing is huge. And it only makes it bigger if you're not able to do the lower-level races in Europe, which are plenty challenging."

The team is set up to give young riders the best possible environment to learn and develop.

"The idea behind this team is that it gives you free reign to do as much national team stuff as you want," Rathe said. "So it's aimed toward development. And we'll be able to do NRC stuff with the team when I'm home."

Rathe's 2009 CMG Racing/Hammer teammates Wes Stein and Austin Arguello will be riding for Bobs-bicycles.com, a northwest regional powerhouse squad based out of Boise. Marcel de Lisser will be riding with Team Oregon, which plans a boosted national 2010 program for its elite riders.

Kennett Peterson, who rode for team Oregon in 2009, will move over to the powerful regional squad Hagens-Berman out of Seattle. Meanwhile, Adrian Hegyvary, who won the 2009 PDX Twilight criterium while riding in the Hagens-Berman kit, has signed with the OUCH/Maxxis pro team for 2010 after a 2009 season peppered with national and regional wins. He'll be joined by fellow Washington rider Morgan Schmitt, who is moving from Bissell to OUCH, which will be sponsored by United Healthcare for the 2010 season.

On the women's side of things, Therapeutic Associates rider Lisa Turnbull will move to the Riverstone Women's Racing Team for the 2010 season.

The Veloforma women's professional cycling team will add a trio of OBRA riders to its elite squad. Bend's Teri Sheasby, a speedy climber who ascended with some of the best riders in the country at both the Mt. Hood and Cascade Classic stage races, will wear the Veloforma kit for 2010. Veloforma will also have Lindsay Fox, a triathlete who quickly learned the road racing ropes and moved to the front of the women's peleton for team Oregon in 2009. Lisa Reeve, who rode in (and won) her first-ever bicycle race at the beginning of this summer and ended the season as a Cat 2 after stacking up a pile of wins, will also race for Veloforma in 2010.

That's all I've got so far. If you've got any information about rider changes, big team news or other hot off-season tips, please e-mail them to editorial@cyclingaction.com.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Cameron, Van Meter notch wins at Cross Crusade



HILLSBORO, Ore. -- Portland Bicycle Studio's Molly Cameron made it two in row Sunday by taking the Men's A race at Cross Crusade #4, while Emily Van Meter (Hudz-Subaru) notched her first win of the season in the Women's A race.

The skies finally opened up and dumped enough precipitation to bring out the mud for the first time this Cross Crusade season, and the rain had riders slipping and sliding over the pancake-flat course at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro.

With series leader Wendy Williams (Hudz-Subaru), winner of the first three races, in Kentucky for the USGP Derby City Cup, teammate Van Meter surged to the front to pick up Williams’ ongoing battle with Alice Pennington (Veloforma).

“When the cat’s away, the mice will play,” Van Meter said of her opportunistic win.

Van Meter and Pennington opened a huge gap on the rest of the field almost immediately. The pair rode together for most of the first lap until Pennington went down on an off-camber, slightly uphill section.

“My buddy told me that she had crashed,” Van Meter said. “So I just put my head down and tried to get as big a gap as I could. Then I just tried to ride it smart and smooth and keep it upright. It was slick, really slick.”

Pennington, who’s finished second three times in the series and third once, chased hard to try and bring back Van Meter, but the Veloforma rider couldn’t close the gap.

“I would pull back a little bit,” Pennington said of her chase. “I think the closest I got was five seconds. But I just never had it to catch her. I think she knew I was chasing hard, so she never let up.”

Van Meter cruised across the finish line solo for the win, with Pennington just a handful of seconds behind. Sunnyside Sports’ Serena Bishop crossed the line next for third. River City Bicycles’ Brigett Stoik finished fourth, just ahead of Tina Brubaker (Vanilla Workshop).

In the Senior Men’s A race, Cameron joined series leader Sean Babcock (Team S&M) and Michael Gallagher (C3 Athletes) at the front of the race, where they wasted little time opening a gap on the rest of the field. The trio shared the work, steadily building their lead until first Gallagher fell off the lead pace, followed by Babcock. Alone at the front, Cameron continued to apply the pressure and started building a solid lead when Babcock went down in the deep mud.

“It was definitely a different style of racing today,” Babcock said. “It was flat, and it was pretty slippery.”

Babcock, who came into the day with a solid series lead, began to whittle away Cameron’s advantage as the race drew to a close, but the Team S&M rider ran out of time.

“Molly accelerated on the flat sections and just slowly opened things up,” Babcock said. “And then I crashed (in the mud section) and she really got a gap on us; pretty smart racing.”

Cameron hung onto the lead and cruised in for a comfortable win. Babcock dropped Gallagher from the chase and finished second. Gallagher held on for third, ahead of Capitol Subaru Cycling’s Brett Luelling and Gentle Lovers’ Mark Blackwelder.

“I’m really stoked,” Cameron said after the win. “I’m really happy to be winning races. I’ve been working so hard. It’s fun. It’s been fun battles. I was stoked when it was the three of us off the front because it’s fun to have a good battle. (Babcock’s) riding really strong, and I’m riding really strong. So we’ll see.”

RACE NOTES
Kona rider Erik Tonkin finished sixth Sunday in Oregon after winning the most-aggressive rider at Saturday’s USGP in Kentucky, where he fought from the back row to the front of the race, rolled a tire and then did it all over again to finish 18th. The Herculean effort had some of his Oregon opponents worried.

“I saw that result and I knew Erik was going to show up on Sunday and clobber us,” Cameron said. “But when I attacked and he wasn’t around, I figured he was feeling (Saturday’s effort). But it’s crazy that he pulled that off. He does that all the time.”

More than 1,250 racers participated in the fourth installment of the eight-race series, a slight dip from the record 1,453 who showed up for the series opener. Next week’s Cross Crusade goes coastal with a Saturday and Sunday Halloween weekend doubleheader in Astoria.

Check out even more photos on VeloNews.com HERE.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Cross Crusade #4
Hillsboro
Sunday, Oct. 25

Senior Men A
1. Molly Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio)
2. Sean babcock (Team S&M)
3. Michael Gallagher (C3 Athletes)
4. Brett Luelling (Capitol Subaru Cycling)
5. Mark Blackwelder (Gentle Lovers)
Senior Women A
1. Emily Van Meter (Hudz-Subaru)
2. Alice Pennington (Veloforma)
3. Serena Bishop (Sunnyside Sports)
4. Brigett Stoik (River City Bicycles)
5. Tina Brubaker (Vanilla Workshop)
Singlespeed
1. Erik Frabrizius (Veloshop)
2. Seth Patla (River City Bicycles)
3. Nick Gibson (Yakima)
4. James Crowe (Revolver Cycles)
5. Spencer Bushnell (Therapeutic Associates Inc.)